Ford Research & Advanced Engineering Europe Ford Research Centre Aachen
Our MotivationPersonal mobility is without doubt a fundamental need in modern society, and the automobile has provided us with this individual freedom and independence, thereby making its mark on the past century. Mobility has also become a significant economic factor: road transport forms more than 10% of the European GDP. Mobility creates and secures jobs and maintains competitiveness. Mobility, however, still presents society with major challenges: the reduction of exhaust gas emissions and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, limited supplies of fossil fuels and the development of possible alternatives and also improved traffic safety. The greater goal is 'sustainable mobility,' and everyone who takes advantage of personal mobility also carries part of the responsibility for it. So, too, the Ford Motor Company: even though developments in recent years have led to significant reductions in emissions and fuel consumption, today the Ford Motor Company is making sure that these values will be even further reduced in the next generations of its vehicles. This is the defining mission of Ford Research and Advanced Engineering Europe (R&A) that is creating individual mobility solutions that go hand in hand with environmental considerations. Most of the R&A team is located in the Ford Research Centre in Aachen which was founded in 1994 and is the only Ford Motor Company research location in the world outside of Detroit. Its workforce has grown to about 250 employees from over 25 nations around the globe. Roughly 100 of the 250 research engineers are located in Ford``s development centres in Cologne, Germany and Dunton, England, to assure the seamless technology transfer into product development. In cooperation with universities, leading institutions, competitors and suppliers, innovations are developed that benefit all Ford Motor Company brands: Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover, and Mazda. Environment and sustainability research is being done in areas as diverse as next generation diesel and gasoline engine development, environmental science, alternative powertrains, in-vehicle energy management optimisation, telematics and new materials research. Excellent vehicle dynamics, which have become a trademark of Ford vehicles, increase not only driving pleasure, but also active safety. Ford Research and Advanced Engineering Europe has made it its goal to maintain and improve Ford's leadership in this area. Since electronic controls plays a significant part in this, vehicle dynamics experts are supported by electronic specialists - but not only here. With the rapid increase in the use of electronics in new vehicles, the number of electronics specialists has grown concurrently, also making electronics an important area of research in its own right. Another team of researchers is working to develop new vehicle interior concepts, paying particular attention to perceived quality, operability and ergonomics. Research and Advanced Engineering of Diesel and Petrol Engines
Thanks to their higher efficiency, superior torque characteristics and much improved acoustic characteristics in recent years, diesel engines have become ever more popular. The fact that diesel fuel is also less expensive than petrol in many markets has also supported this trend. In addition, refining diesel fuel is less energy-intensive than the refining processes for other fuels. Given these factors, diesels have an important role to play in reducing CO2 emissions. Since the European markets are experiencing an ever-increasing demand for diesel vehicles, the Ford Research & Advanced Engineering plays a central role in worldwide diesel research. The diesel team is currently working on developing and putting into practice technologies for first-class diesel engines that will fulfil all future emissions standards worldwide. Impressive: between 1990 and 2005, the emissions levels have been reduced by over 90 percent. In further optimising diesel powered vehicles, the main research goal is to better understand the physical and chemical processes involved in air movement in the cylinder, fuel injection, formation of the combustion mixture and the combustion process itself. Thermodynamic effects and chemical processes are rapidly superimposed on each other, changing millisecond after millisecond, making for very dynamic research work. The knowledge gained from this work helps calibrate the up-to-date development tools that in turn help reduce production time and improve quality. The R&A diesel team is also working on optimising the interaction between the combustion, engine controls, and aftertreatment systems. The overall engine architecture, as well as that of individual components such as the fuel injection system, also have an enormous influence on the characteristics of an engine. High-tech roler dynos and dynamic engine testing benches support this work. Petrol engines still show great promise, too, and there is plenty of room for improvement in the areas of fuel consumption, emissions reduction, performance and torque in these engines. Engineers are attacking the seeming contradiction of achieving both increased power and increased efficiency with solutions such as so-called 'downsizing:' using a small displacement turbo-charged engine that is especially efficient when running under partial load but still produces plenty of power when necessary. Developing new combustion processes also offers potentially large improvements in power and efficiency. Ford introduced another variant of this type, the direct injection petrol engine, to the market in the 2003 Mondeo. Under partial load, direct injection engines really show their improved fuel consumption. This concept is being combined with turbo-charging technologies that will further reduce consumption whilst simultaneously offering improved performance. Environmental Research
In developing new generations of vehicles, highly complex measurement procedures are used to evaluate exhaust gases and their effect on the environment as well as interior air-quality. In the Ford Research Center's high-tech emissions laboratory, minute emission and trace-gas quantities can be measured and analysed. Researchers use a mobile laboratory for in field testing, which allows them to carry out their research at various locations in real-world conditions. One interesting capability that the mobile lab mounted in a Ford Transit offers is the ability to drive behind a diesel vehicle, directly sampling its exhaust gases. This is particularly important to get realistic data of a vehicle's emissions and ensure compliance with future emissions regulations. Since emissions have been constantly reduced over recent years, measuring them has become increasingly difficult. Ford researchers are working with renowned institutions, universities, and suppliers on the constant quest to find and develop new and ever more sensitive measuring techniques and devices. When testing new fuels for their potential to reduce emissions and optimise performance and quality, it is fundamental to consider the entire chain of production, supply and use: from fuel production to the exhaust pipe. For example, a hydrogen-powered vehicle, whilst producing no local emissions, is only a true zero-emissions vehicle when its fuel has been produced from renewable, so-called 'green' energy sources. Reducing a vehicle's overall environmental impact also includes sustainable recycling concepts. Research into recycling-oriented product development considers the 'recyclability' of new materials and future vehicle concepts. New Materials and Technologies
New materials play key roles in improving vehicle safety, environmental impact and quality. Low-friction coatings and lightweight construction reduce fuel consumption and, consequently, carbon dioxide and other exhaust gas emissions. Vehicle dynamics and safety also profit from reduced weight. For example, high-strength materials can be used to make stable car bodies that can protect vehicle occupants even in serious traffic accidents. Ford researchers are investigating a number of new materials with all of these factors in mind: new types of steel that are ten times stronger than current steels, strengthening foams that are strong enough to stabilise bodywork in an accident but are light enough to float on water, and surface coatings that reduce engine friction and remain intact even under the most adverse conditions. Before innovative materials find their way into production cars, however, there are many hurdles to overcome. What good is a material if it can't, for example, be processed easily, efficiently and economically? Can the new material be formed into the shapes needed for an attractive design? How can a new material be introduced into the ever-shorter development cycles if its precise characteristics aren't known? The high quality of today's vehicles cannot be achieved through just exhaustive testing. Detailed computer simulations of its collision, comfort and durability attributes are also needed. But does the new material behave the same way as the old? And what happens to the material once the lifetime of the vehicle itself is over? Can it be disposed of in an environmentally sound manner or recycled? Ford researchers must answer all of these questions whist following their goal, to make cars safer, more economical and more environmentally friendly. Alternative Powertrains
Alternative powertrains have always been a part of automotive history, but the oil crises of 1973 really fired interest in them. Since then, many new technologies have their testing behind them, have been technically matured and are about to be realised. Some alternative powertrains are already on the market: Ford is the first manufacturer to offer bio-ethanol vehicles in various markets such as Sweden and Brazil. The Ford Escape Hybrid, able to drive purely on electric power, has been available in the US since summer 2004. The challenge in introducing alternative fuels and powertrains lies not only in the technical feasibility, but even more so in the affordability of emission-reduced or emission-free technologies and in the establishment of a refuelling infrastructure. The goal of sustainable environmental improvement will only become possible when clean mobility becomes affordable. Ford's European research and development teams are working on a series of alternative powertrains. The fuel consumption of conventional combustion engines can be significantly reduced with the help of hybridisation. This applies not only to so-called 'full-hybrid' vehicles, such as the previously mentioned Ford Escape Hybrid on the US market, but also to 'micro-hybrids.' In micro-hybrid cars, the conventional alternator and the starter motor are replaced with belt-driven or crankshaft-mounted starter generators. Micro-hybrids cannot run purely on electricity without the help of the combustion engine, but they offer another advantage: a stop/start system shuts off the engine at every stop, providing considerable fuel savings, especially in city driving conditions. Hybrid powertrain systems are also able to convert a percentage of their braking energy into electrical energy and store it in batteries for later use, which also reduces fuel consumption. Ford engineers are working hard to make high-quality hybrid technology affordable for everyone. To test the practicability of hydrogen as an everyday fuel, Ford R&A Europe is a member of CEP, the Clean Energy Partnership project made up of various automobile manufacturers, oil companies and other partners. The CEP opened the first publicly accessible hydrogen filling station in Europe in Berlin at the end of November 2004. Ford provided three Ford Focus Fuel Cell Hybrid vehicles to fleet customers who are driving them under everyday conditions as part of the CEP. Ford researchers have developed a Ford Focus C-MAX with a hydrogen internal combustion engine to test the technical and environmental potential of this technology. Ford believes that this can be an important 'bridging technology' along the way to achieving sustainable mobility in a hydrogen fuel cell powered future. During the time it will take to bring fuel cell technology to technical and economic maturity, it is important to create a demand for hydrogen to help build up a hydrogen infrastructure. The more vehicles that run on hydrogen, the faster the filling stations will become equipped to provide it. It is almost certain that hydrogen combustion technology will be ready for market before fuel cell technology. Energy Management
Micro-hybrid technology is also being applied by a research team from the Vehicle Energy Management section. A thrifty and robust supply of energy for all electrical systems can be achieved through the use of various measures, even digital street maps. Expanded infrastructural and geographical information from the navigation system can help make the generation of electrical energy in a vehicle more efficient. For example, if the car 'knows' in advance when it will be going up or downhill, it can alter its battery charging strategy accordingly: charging the battery whilst rolling down a hill is 'free,' but charging it whilst going uphill consumes more fuel. The increasing number of electrically powered devices in cars confronts engineers with two basic challenges. Firstly, fuel consumption is increased, since generating electricity places more load on the engine. The other is that the onboard electrical network can become overloaded, causing an inconsistent supply of power, which means it would be better not to run all systems simultaneously. Safety relevant technologies have priority and are never affected by system overloads, but it can be helpful, for example, not to run seat and rear window heaters at the same time. Ford engineers have made it their task to prioritise energy usage whilst avoiding compromises in driver comfort. Vehicle Electronics & Controls
The number of electronic components in vehicles is constantly increasing. For this reason, Ford research and advanced engineering is working on intelligent control systems that guarantee optimal interaction between all vehicle sub-systems. To assure the safe and consistent operation of a vehicle's electronic systems, it is essential that 'the left hand knows what the right hand is doing.' To this end, a controls architecture is being built for the next generation of sophisticated vehicle stability systems. Various electronic systems in the car are controlled centrally, and data is exchanged and continuously harmonised between the sub-systems. The high-tech systems of the future, such as micro-hybrid systems, require the development of management and control systems that interact with other vehicle systems, such as the start/stop system that shuts down the combustion engine when it is not required - at a red light, for example – which reduces fuel consumption and increases comfort. This system has to be in constant contact with other systems in the powertrain. It must be ready to restart the engine in an instant when the traffic light turns green and the driver wants to put the vehicle in motion again. In the future, automobile manufacturers and suppliers from the electronics sector will be working even more closely together. Several companies are cooperating under the name of AUTOSAR to develop an open electrical and electronic system architecture that will allow easier networking between different vehicle systems. The partnership's goal is to define and standardise basic functions and functional interfaces, which will make vehicle systems less complicated and allow future innovations to be developed faster and more cost effectively. Vehicle Dynamics
The primary goal of vehicle dynamics development is to provide the customer with safe and comfortable driving on all road surfaces under all weather conditions. The demands placed on modern vehicle suspensions are constantly increasing. On the one hand, they need to be lighter to reduce fuel consumption. On the other hand they must safely transfer to the road the ever increasing amounts of power produced by high performance engines and braking systems. Vehicle dynamics engineers are developing innovative concepts using new materials to achieve optimal driving, steering and braking performance. Since driving dynamics can now be influenced by software, a new and important area of research has come into being thanks to the increasing use of electronically controlled suspension systems to assist the driver and improve the overall vehicle dynamics performance. This creates entirely new possibilities for the optimisation of individual components such as shock absorbers, steering and braking systems and all-wheel drive. Various settings of the systems, appropriate for different situations, are predefined by the developers. For example, the electronic shock absorber system settings change in response to variations in speed, road surface characteristics and other factors. Furthermore, there is the potential to combine the various electronic systems into an integrated network. Central control over the individual components and their interaction offers even greater possibilities to influence driving dynamics and consequently active vehicle safety. Electronic steering systems lead not only to improved driving dynamics, but also to reductions in fuel consumption. Vehicle models are already 'driven' in computer simulations to optimise their performance characteristics. These simulations are then compared to real data collected from vehicles on the test track or from the laboratory test rigs. Thanks to these simulations, the number of prototypes needed during vehicle development is significantly reduced because it quickly becomes clear which solutions will be successful and which not. To make test results verifiably reproducible, Ford must have internally standardised test procedures available. One of Ford research engineers' most important tasks is therefore to develop the necessary assessment tools and to make sure they live up to the constantly increasing and evolving demands of new electronic suspension systems. Optimised vehicle dynamics increases both driving safety and driving pleasure, attributes that characterise every vehicle produced by Ford. Vehicle Interior Concepts
The most important aspects in developing innovative vehicle interior concepts are functionality, ergonomics, quality and functionality, i. e. human-machine interaction. Vehicle systems, especially those used whilst driving, should be simple to operate and easy to reach so the driver is not distracted. Simplicity and 'non-distraction' also lead researchers to consider factors such as the colour and readability of navigation system displays: an important consideration in an ageing society. Control elements should be laid out as clearly as possible. Alongside functionality, aesthetics also play a role here: a clear layout also looks harmonious and orderly. This also goes for the shape and colour of knobs and switches. Less is often more. The quality of materials and workmanship, their feel and even smell are also decisive for a sense of well-being inside a vehicle: "How do the materials feel?" "How is the workmanship?" These and many other questions are assessed by Ford researchers. One good example is chemical composition addressing recycling issues or allergies. The number of people with allergies is constantly increasing, and this is a factor that is certain to become more important in future. Ford is the only manufacturer to receive the German TÜV testing agency certificate for an allergy-tested vehicle interior. The interior team uses biomechanical measurement procedures and computer simulations to objectively analyse seating comfort and to optimise vehicle interior ergonomics. This information is then used in the development of new vehicles that offer drivers the greatest possible comfort and help reduce back complaints and fatigue on long journeys. Telematics and Navigation
The future of individual mobility will depend on improved traffic information and optimised traffic management that allows the current road infrastructure to be used as efficiently as possible. Ford researchers are developing telematics concepts that will assure that drivers are provided with all information relevant to their journey. For example, navigation systems must be as dynamic as possible, which means they must have the latest information available. They should inform drivers immediately of any traffic jams or accidents and suggest, where possible, a newly calculated route. In the future, such routing suggestions will be provided by a central server that has a strategic overview of the overall traffic situation. This would help avoid the increasingly common phenomenon of traffic jams simply moving from one route to another due to the standardised but non-networked routing algorithms in current navigation systems. Furthermore, new models will be able to make reliable traffic prognoses. This will reduce the risk, for example, of making the choice of route between Hamburg and Munich a matter of sheer luck. Drivers don't want to know the traffic situation outside of Frankfurt when they are leaving: they want to know how it will be when they get there. The traffic prognosis will answer this question and the system can calculate and suggest a route for the entire journey. The central server's overview of the traffic situation will also be improved by traffic flow information provided by sensors on actual vehicles on the road. The digital information contained in the navigation system could also help improved active safety in vehicles. This 'virtual cocoon' for the vehicle could include systems that warn the driver when approaching stop signs or tight curves. Ford researchers are also working on other practical uses for telematics services. These include parking information and reservation services, vehicle-based EFT and emergency service systems. All of the services can be called up and utilised via vehicle-mounted and/or portable devices that Ford researchers are already developing. Since vehicle life-cycles are much shorter than those of software and technology, the telematics systems will be able to be updated on a regular basis. Ford Research & Advanced Engineering Europe: Interactions
Ford's European Research and Advanced Engineering is part of the Ford Motor Company's worldwide research activities. The topics and projects are decided not only in conjunction with Ford's research headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, but also with the research departments of the other Ford brands such as Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Mazda. Approximately half of the European research outcome directly benefits the other brands. Since the Ford R&A Europe work is not solely limited to research, but also includes large sections of preliminary vehicle development, roughly 100 of the 250 Aachen research engineers also assure that new technologies are successfully transferred into vehicles in the Ford product development centres in Cologne, Germany and Dunton, England. Ford increases the efficiency and scope of many of its research activities by participating in partner projects in cooperation with selected leading institutions and universities. Researchers often work in close cooperation with suppliers and even competitors, since ground-breaking new innovations are seldom the result of individual effort. For example, the automobile industry and energy companies must cooperate to develop alternative powertrains using new fuels. Networking is also an important part of research. For this reason the Ford Research Center Aachen represents Ford in external organisations such as the German Automobile Industry Association, and EUCAR, a federation of European car makers involved in pre-competitive, cooperative research. The Ford Research Center Aachen is also active member of the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council, an advisory group composed of industrial, institutional and political representatives that advises the European Commission regarding the financial support of transport-related research.